Process of rendering fabric resistant to fungal and bacterial attack



Patented June 24, 1941 PROCEsS OF RENDERING FABRIC RESIST- ANT T FUNGAL AND BACTERIAL All.-

TACK

Helen M. Robinson, Washington, D. 0.; dedicated to the free use of the People in the territory of the United States Net Drawing. Application October 11, 1940, Serial No. 360,801

(Granted under the act oi March 3,. 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 3 Claims.

This application is made under the act of March 3, 1883 as amended by the act of April 30, 1928, and the invention herein described and claimed, if patented, may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

Ihereby dedicate the invention herein described to the free use of the people in the territory of the United States to take effect on the granting of a patent to me.

The present invention relates to compounds of morpholine, with certain inorganic salts, and to the use of these compounds as agents for rendering fabrics resistant to fungi and bacteria.

The object of this invention is to produce finishes resistant to fungi and bacteria, which when applied to a fabric make it highly resistant to micro-organisms.

The products of my invention are valuable as fungi and bacteria-resisting agents for fabrics. Fabrics treated with these agents resist attack by fungi and bacteria. The invention is useful .for treatment of awnings, sails, tents, tarpaulins,

and similar fabrics exposed to moisture and thus to fungal and bacterial growths. It has the advantage of being inexpensive, non-toxic, and easy for the layman to apply.

I have prepared compounds of morpholine with inorganic salts, such as with copper sulphate, and cadmium sulphate, thereby producing reaction compounds having the general formula: X(N(CH2)4O)11 where X is the metallic atom and y is the valence of the metal. Thus, I have prepared a compound directly, by adding morpholine to a 5 to water solution of copper sulphate, having the empirical formula Cu(N(CH2) 40M. or with cadmium sulphate, and having the empirical formula Cd(N(CI-I2)4Oz). I have found that this resulting fungi and bacteria-resisting agent has none of the harmful qualities possessed by many of the treatments reported in the literatui'e. The finish has durability, and is odorless. Many of the present commercial finishes claiming mildew-resistant properties have very irritating and penetrating odors, which my compound does not have.

It is known that copper can be quantitatively precipitated by morpholine (L. S. Malowan, Determination of Zinc and Copper with Morpholine, Mikrochemie 26:319-321, 1939) and a potassium cadmium iodide solution has been shown to form a precipitate with morpholine (Ludwig Knorr, "Beitrage zur Kenntniss der Morpholinbasen," Liebigs Annalen, 301:1-18, 1898). However, no

reports have been found in the literature to show that compounds of copper or cadmium salts with morpholine have been definitely isolated, or that a reaction compound has been formed. No mention has been made of the fungicidal and bactericidal properties of these compounds, nor have they ever been used before to protect fabrics against mildew growth.

A preferred procedure of my invention consists in immersing the fabric in an inorganic salt solution, such as copper sulphate, or cadmium sulphate, followed by immersing in morpholine, resulting in a precipitate, or my reaction product, forming in the fibers of the material.

While the invention is susceptible to considerable variations and modifications in the manner of its practical application, particularly as-regards the character of the reactants, the proportions of materials, the conditions of reaction and the exact method of procedure, the following examples will serve to illustrate how my invention may be practised.

Example 1.The fabric to be treated isimmersed in a 10-percent water solution of copper sulphate, about 100 ml. of solution allowed for each4 gm. of fabric. This solution containing the fabric is boiled for about 10 minutes and then allowed to stand for 20 minutes longer with frequent agitation. The fabric is then removed from the solution, passed between rollers, to remove excess solution, and immediately immersed in morpholine, 100 ml. allowed for each 4 gm. of fabric. The fabric is left in the morpholine for substantially 15 minutes, and is then removed,

rolled, and allowed to dry. Immediately upon removal from the morpholine, the fabric is still, but on drying it regains its former pliability.

Example 2.-The fabric to be treated is immersed in a IO-percent water solution of cadmium sulphate about 100 ml. of solution allowed for each 4 gm. of cloth. This solution containing the fabric is boiled for about 10 minutes and then allowed to stand for about 20 minutes longer, with frequent agitation. The fabric is removed from this solution, passed between rollers to remove excess solution and then immediately immersed in,

morpholine, ml. allowed for each 4 gm. of fabric. The cloth is left in the morpholine for substantially 15 minutes and is then removed, rolled, and allowed to dry. Immediately upon removal from the morpholine, the fabric is stiff, but on drying it regains its former pliability.

I may substitute copper chloride for copper sulphate, and cadmium chloride for cadmium sulphate and obtain equally satisfactory results.

claim for Letters Patent is:

1. In a process of rendering fabric resistant to fungal and bacterial attack, which comprises heating the fabric in a solution of one of a group of metallic inorganic salts consisting of copper sulphate and cadmium sulphate, and thence immersing in morpholine.

2. In a process of rendering fabric resistant to fungal and bacterial attack, which comprises heating fabric to a temperature of at least 212 F. in a 10 to 150 gm. per liter solution of cadmium sulphate, for substantially 10-30 minutes, thence removing the fabric from the solution, and thence immersing it in morpholine.

3. In a process of rendering fabric resistant to fungal and bacterial attack, which comprises heating fabric to a temperature of at least 212 F. in a 10 to 150 gm. per liter solution of copper sulphate, for substantially 10-30 minutes, thence removing the fabric from the solution, and thence immersing it in morpholine.

HELEN M. ROBINSON. 

